Cruising down the I-5 S in a fleet of cars, we're heading to our annual work retreat in Deschutes National Forest.

It’s that kind of surreal adventure that includes getting paid to kick it with the company’s founders, where by day the CEO wants to know your big ideas and visions for the company. Then by night, hosts the chillest of dance parties.

It’s that kind of work trip where everyone gets a seat at the table and every story shared is received with a genuine interest and openness.

Going around the swanky-meets-rustic common room at Suttle Lodge, everyone in the company has a story to share on how they arrived at Marmoset. Some of the stories are serendipitous, people being in the right place at the right time — others are filled with relentless pursuit: not scoring the job on the first try but never taking “no” for an answer. But for those who didn’t at first succeed, they find a way to join the music creative agency a year or two down the road. No matter the version in the arrival, there’s a common theme: the struggle was all worth it.

It’s a testimony to something that's easier to feel than put into words, but you can hear it spoken over the gin filled “Drake on a Lake” cocktails that evening. The common consensus of the rumblings all come back to, ‘it’s really cool to work for a company that strives to do good and knows how to have fun in the process.’

This sense of caring mixed with continual efforts to stand out as creative, goodhearted people, it's clear Marmoset attracts two different kinds of people: those who boldly embrace a polar plunge, and those who will carefully watch to ensure no one drowns. The first morning of the retreat, a handful of fearless Marmosets start off the busy retreat by cannonballing into the (almost) frozen lake. But don't worry, there's a long lifeguard pole to fish out anyone who cramps up.

On dry land and the final day at the retreat, every team recaps their quarter happenings, there’s celebration over the achievements —there’s transparency in what we can do better.

The long but rewarding day transcends to evening, and the lodge's living room morphs from conference room to dance hall. Marmoset brings Pure Bathing Culture on stage to kick the night off right, opening up the lodge's heavy, wooden carved doors to the surrounding community. It's an open house for anyone who wants to be a part of the creative energy and celebration.

Strangers blend with familiar faces, bringing us back to our initiative of bringing people together and sharing awesome music.

The upbeat list goes on. And I guess you could say it's our Valentines Day gift to you, click the link below to download or listen:

In Marmoset artist Nicola Cruz’s music video, “Colibria”, we fall into a trance under the unfolding hyper visuals. The project is equally explorative in its on-screen story and the song’s electronic construct — we’re given a haunting piece of art that’s beautifully invested in Cruz’s cultural background. From the film’s intentional art direction to the spiritual lyrics, every element serves its purpose.

Cruz’s style is a musical combination of electronic and folk; it’s a refreshing union between old and new. The qualities found in Cruz’s sound become even more enthralling when digging deeper into his roots — the artist's Ecuadorian heritage inherently present within his approach and composition of music. There’s an effortless sense of innovation in the Cruz's music, with a distinct fingerprint of identify and self-awareness.

The music video also features haunting vocals from Huaira (Daniela Baquero), her sound vibrating through the piece as she embodies a version of the “Mother Earth” deity.

You can listen to more Nicola Cruz by following our link below:

Equal parts haunting and uplifting, "Expansive Wins" is a compilation of synth, engaging bass, and impactful chorus appearances. It’s an offering of electric pop to ambient landscapes — it's a curated list of scores that would compliment any protagonist's catalyst moment.

Are you envisioning a synth buildup for your 80’s influenced film? Turn to “It’s Okay Now” by Dropa, its poppy electronica feels like riding in an elevator overlooking a neon lit-up city (Blade Runner-esque).

For a slower pace scattered with rich textures, we look to "Unsettled Beings" by Icelandic artist, Mikael Lind. The song swells, a melodic rise, a beautiful introspective piece that would compliment a dramatic or contemplative moment in your cinematic project.

For more inspiration, follow the link below to our latest, curated mixtape:

With a slogan that resonates, we didn't hesitate to team up with Carnival Cruise Line for their latest nautical project — along with big personality and Brand Ambassador, Shaquil O’Neal.

The project is a cheeky, rapid fire 30-cond pitch to travelers on all the fun amenities you can expect onboard Carnival's fantastic voyage. Since the project is playful, catchy, and unique, the psychedelic and funk sound of “Bobo” by Seattle’s Polyrhythmics was a great fit for the commercial.

The song's rhythmic punchiness matches Shaq determination to call out each hospitality perk offered by Carnival Cruise Line. Fun fact: it only takes about 3 seconds for Shaq to officiate a wedding. It's projects like this where music noticeably guides the characters on-screen, a key element for storytelling that's under a minute!

We couldn’t wait any longer —we're happy to announce "Origins", Marmoset's 2018 Reel is now Live!

Where to even begin with which piece we find most spectacular... that might be a bit challenging. But if we were to give a business presentation on what to expect from the film, we’d start with a pie chart similar to this:

Not only a visual recap of 2017, “Origins”, the four month long production, represents some of the most notable and memorable projects Marmoset played a creative hand in — the title came about as a significant tribute to our music community. “This film is about where we come from,” Josh Brine, Marmoset’s Visual Content Director explains. “Many of us [Marmoset employees] are also musicians and artists, therefore understand our foundation.”

The reel reveals some of the the creative super powers behind our team and of course, our artists. But most importantly, the films encapsulates the journey in which music can take any project. While we look onward with the new projects unfolding in this new year, this reel is our milestone for us as a creative music agency, our community, and family.

Fun facts:

For one of the scenes, we filmed at the Pittock Mansion in Portland, OR — can you spot which scene?

Around 26 people from Marmoset's family had a hand in making the film.

A part of the production was filmed at Soundscape Studios in Chicago, IL — some of their clientele in the past includes Chance the Rapper, 2 Chainz, M.I.A, Vince Staples, and Vic Mensa.

Penske accidentally gave the crew a flatbed truck twice the size of what was ordered. It was too late to secure another smaller truck, so production ran with it! It actually turned out funnier because of how ridiculously huge it is.